Turag River Research Articles

Inventory of Ichyofaunal Diversity, Fishing Gear and Craft in Turag River, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Biodiversity of many Bangladesh Rivers is seriously threatened by industrial and municipal pollution. The study was conducted in the Turag River starting from Amin Bazar bridge (23°47' N 90°20'E) to Kamarpara bridge (23°53' N 90°23'E). This inventory survey was sampled at a fortnightly interval usually between 7.00 am to 5.00 pm by a team using a boat from December 2012 to November 2013. Detailed information on catch by species, fish length & weight, different types of gear & craft were collected through direct observation. A total of 71 (65 indigenous and 6 exotic) fish species (under 25 families of 9 orders) have been identified. 17 different types of gears of two categories (active and passive gear) and 8 different types of crafts were observed to harvest fish in the study area. The survey revealed that rising floodwater stimulated an increase in fishing activities in the study area from July to October. Fish numbers were recorded lower from November to July (dry and pre-monsoon period) likely due to reduced water flow and adverse water quality of this river. A paired t-test indicate that fish species numbers were significantly difference between Dry and pre-monsoon (P=0.02), Dry and monsoon (P=0.02) and Dry and post-monsoon season (P=0.03) respectively. However, fisheries resources contribution is very limited for livelihood of the surrounding people.

Concentration of Heavy Metals in Available Fish Species (Bain, Mastacembelus armatus; Taki, Channa punctatus and Bele, Glossogobius giuris) in the Turag River, Bangladesh

This study was conducted to assess the concentration level of heavy metals in three available fish species (Bain, Mastacembelus armatus; Taki, Channa punctatus and Bele, Glossogobius giuris) of the Turag river, Bangladesh during the months from January to March, 2014. In case of bio-concentration of heavy metals in fish, the levels of Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu and Fe ranged from 0.01-0.13 mg/kg, 0.001-0.02 mg/kg, 0.17-0.48 mg/kg, 0.30-0.74 mg/kg and 4.05-46.86 mg/kg, respectively while Hg was below detection level. These values indicate that the heavy metals were concentrated in fish flesh at a higher level than water. The highest values of Pb, Cd and Cr were found in Bain fish, Fe was found in Taki fish and Cu was found in Bele fish. Most of the heavy metals have crossed the permissible limits in fish, especially for the values of Cr, Cu and Fe. From the results of the present investigation, it can be concluded that the available fish species are harmful for their consumers.

Investigation of Heavy Metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg and Fe) of the Turag River in Bangladesh

The study was conducted to assess the concentration level of heavy metals in water of the Turag river during the months from January to March, 2014. The level of Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg and Fe ranged from 0.002-0.005 ppm, BDL (Below Detection Level)-0.03 ppm, 0.007-0.024 ppm, 0.03-0.15 ppm, BDL (Below Detection Level)-0.00024 and 0.78-6.33 ppm, respectively. The concentration level of heavy metals in water did not exceed the permissible limit except Fe. This result was obtained because of river water is always flowing and metals cannot be accumulated in flowing water. For this reason a little amount of analyzed heavy metals were traced in water samples. But heavy metals have toxic properties, leading to adverse effects on human and ecosystem health even in small doses. So, the Turag river water is not safe for using different purposes and steps should be undertaken to improve the water quality of the river.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v7i2.22221 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 7(2): 133-136 2014

Landscape Transformation in Turag River Basin between 1980 and 2010

Landscape transformation process for the study area has been analyzed for three decades. The change of each class has been studied and attempt has been made to find out the reasons of changing pattern. The change dynamics were not same all over the study area, so for detail analysis the whole basin has been classified into three different zones (High, Medium and Low land) on the basis of elevation as adopted by Soil Resources and Development Institute (SRDI) of Bangladesh. “Human settlement” has been changed more actively in “High land (Zone 1)”, on the other hand “Small area built-up” has been changed more actively in “Medium land (Zone 2)”. These two classes have been changed positively. “Forest” has been changed negatively in “High land (Zone 1)” compared to other two zones (Medium land and Low land). “Urban” area has been changed to “Medium land (Zone 2) as it is very near to Dhaka city. Another significant positive change has been found in “Brick field” area in low land (Zone 3) along the main stream of Turag river, and the reason for this is the easy transportation of bricks to Dhaka city and around by river transportation.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v7i2.22219 Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 7(2): 115-125 2014

Identification and Delineation of Turag River Basin Boundary Using Remote Sensing Techniques

The objective of this study was to identify the Turag river basin boundary using remote sensing techniques. Aerial photographs and Topographic maps from Survey of Bangladesh have been used for this study. Various remote sensing data namely Landsat TM (Thematic Mapper) and Quick Bird have been also to support the analysis. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and as well as the Global Position System (GPS) based ground truth information have been used for the verification of the analyzed results. The Turag river basin boundary has been delineated and length of the basin boundary is 197.79 km and the total area of the Turag river basin is 1160.48 sq-km. Remote sensing data was very useful for identification and delineation of Turag river basin boundary but further high resolution remote sensing data can improve the accuracy level. Moreover, different seasonal temporal data (dry and wet) are also required for achieving the convincing results. However the study showed that different type of remote sensing sensors data are also useful for this study. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v7i1.22166 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 7(1): 169-175 2014

Analysis of Physicochemical Properties of the Turag River Water, Tongi, Gazipur in Bangladesh

The study deals with the assessment of water quality parameters including pH, DO, BOD, temperature, TDS, EC, transparency, hardness, and alkalinity of the Turag River in Tongi, Gazipur, Bangladesh. The physicochemical parameters of water were investigated for 3 points in the Turag River through experimental methods. The river water was black in color and the odor was bad which indicate that the water is polluted and dangerous for aquatic ecosystem and human health. The temperature of water was within an average value of 28.39oC which indicates standard temperature (20 to 30oC) for aquatic medium. The average value of pH was 6.83, which indicates that the value was within the standard limits (6.5 to 8.0) for aquatic organisms. The values of DO water were within the range of 0.6 to 3.9 ppm with an average value of 2.25 ppm indicating low DO value from standard level (4.0 to 6.0 ppm for domestic and 5.0 ppm for fish culture). The values of BOD were within the average value of 1.15 ppm indicating lower condition compared to standard value of BOD (6.0 ppm for fish culture and 10.0 ppm for irrigation). The average value of TDS was 340.86 ppm which indicates low TDS condition. The EC values were ranged from 35 to150 μS/cm with an average value of 56.30 μS/cm which indicates lower condition than the standard value. The average value of transparency was 28.39 cm. The average value of hardness was 106.79 ppm which indicates near to the standard level. The average alkalinity was 237.66 ppm indicating very lower condition than the standard limit (2000 ppm for irrigation). From this investigation, it is recommended that the water quality of the Turag River is beyond the acceptable limit. So, effective measures should be taken to reduce the level of pollution and mitigate the existing aquatic environmental problems of the Turag River. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v7i1.22140 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 7(1): 27-33 2014

Water Pollution and its Impact on the Human Health

River pollution has been one of the main topics in the environmental issue of urban Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. This study was conducted to find out the pollution situation of Turag river and the health problem of the surrounding residents. The results clearly determine that the water quality of Turag river may not be in a position to sustain the aquatic life and not suitable for using domestic purpose. This is indicated by the very low dissoloved oxygen (DO) levels and other measured parameters in the river. The maximum recorded values of pH, color, turbidity, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), hardness, total dissolved solids (TDS), chloride (Cl-), carbon-di-oxide (CO2) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were 7.1 mg/L, 625 ptcu, 97.2, 4.65 mg/L, 1816 mg/L, 676mg/L, 5 mg/L, 15.5, and 78 mg/L, respectively. The maximum concentration of turbidity, BOD, hardness, TDS, and COD found in the Turag river is much higher than the standard permissible limit. The study also provides evidence that local communities are suffering from a variety of health problems including skin, diarrhea, dysentery, respiratory illnesses, anemia and complications in childbirth. Yellow fever, cholera, dengue, malaria and other epidemic diseases are also available in this area. Furthermore, the people are suffering by the odor pollution and respiratory problems.

Community structure analysis of endoparasitic helminths of Anabas testudineus (Bloch, 1792) from a fresh water body of Bangladesh

Community structure of the parasites of Anabas testudineus was analyzed collected from a fresh water body, Turag River at Diabari, Mirpur point of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Out of 50 A. testudineus fish observed, 36 (72%) were parasitized by at least one species of helminth endoparasites. Six metazoan endoparasites were recorded: two trematodes (Allocreadium minutum, Neopecoelina saharanpuriensis) and four nematodes (Ascaridida sp., Gnathostoma spinigerum, Contracaecum sp., Paragendria wallagonia). Prevalence was higher in female (81.25%) hosts than male (55.56%). Nematode was more prevalent group (70%) than trematode (62%). All parasite species were accounted as secondary species category; no central or satellite species accounted in the sample. A significant positive correlation was observed between the standard length of the host with the prevalence and abundance of all parasites in this sample fishes. Two parasites (A. minutum and Ascaridida sp.) showed typical over-dispersed distribution pattern and other four parasites (N. saharanpuriensis, G. spinigerum, Contracaecum sp. and P. wallagonia) showed random distribution pattern. Interspecies association between two species of parasite was moderately strong. The host’s sex did not affect the parasite diversity and abundance.J. Asiat. Soc. Bangladesh, Sci. 40(1): 67-77, June 2014

Copper, Cadmium, Chromium and lead bioaccumulation in Stinging Catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch) and freshwater mussel, Lamellidens corrianus Lia and to compare their concentration in sediments and water of Turag river

The present study was carried out to determine the level of bioaccumulation of some heavy metals namely Copper (Cu), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr) and Lead (Pb) in freshwater fish Stinging catfish (Heteropneustes fossilis Bloch, 1794) and freshwater Mussel (Lamellidens corrianus Lia, 1834) collected from Turag river during the months of October to December 2010. The accumulation levels were then compared with the concentration levels of sediments and water of the same river. In H. fossilis the average bioaccumulations were Cu 13.27 ± 2.47 mg/kg ; Cd 0.215 ± 0.208 mg/kg ; Cr 1.46 ± 0.431 mg/kg and Pb 0 mg/kg in dry weight while Cu 31.90 ± 6.202 mg/kg ; Cd 0.182 ± 0.025 mg/kg ; Cr 0.0367 ± 0.039 mg/kg and Pb 3.865 ± 1.041 mg/kg in dry weight of L. corrianus. Average concentration of metals in sediments of Turag river were Cu 54.95 ± 9.218 mg/kg ; Cd 0.05 ± 0.011 mg/kg ; Cr 5.575 ± 0.608 mg/kg and Pb 34.89 ± 5.554 mg/kg in dry weight and in water these levels were Cu 0.0253 ± 0.024 ppm ; Cd 0.0012 ± 0.001 ppm ; Cr 0.2335 ± 0.044 ppm and Pb 0.1169 ± 0.041 ppm. The bioaccumulation level of heavy metals in Turag river were higher than the FAO approved standard level. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jasbs.v39i2.17862 J. Asiat. Soc. Bangladesh, Sci. 39(2): 231-238, December 2013

Evidence of Northward Limit of Sea Level Transgression in and around Central Part of Bangladesh during Holocene

The study deals with reconstruction of paleoenvironment of the central part of Dhaka in order to explore the northward limit of sea level transgression in Bangladesh. The study area is located at Sutrapur village on the left bank of Turag River in the Pleistocene Madhupur tract of Dhaka city. Lithostratigraphic analysis along with pollen and diatom analyses were performed. The lithostatigraphic records at Shutrapur site show that the Holocene fresh water deposit overlies the Madhupur Clay and Sand Formation. The site shows evidence of weathering in Madhupur Clay and Sand Formation which infers that the tract might have eroded and exposed for some period and weathering acted upon the tract during that time. The pollen and diatom results reveal that the dissect valley filled with Holocene fresh water lentic deposits during the late Holocene period. In addition, the present study found that the Shutrapur site could not receive marine water while the Chatbari site (23 km south from Shutrapur site) experienced with marine transgression approximately 5500 cal yrs BP. It infers that the marine limit persisted at or around the Chatbari site and marine influence could not reach at Shutrapur site.

Environmental Flow Requirement and Comparative Study of the Turag River, Bangladesh

Environmental flow is necessary for securing ecological health status of a river. Around the Dhaka city of Bangladesh the Turag, an ecologically critical area, is an important river. Environmental flow assessment of the Turag can help to sustain ecosystem and navigation in it. The aims of the research are to estimate environmental flow of the Turag and to assess current flow condition. Mean daily discharge data recorded by Bangladesh Water Development Board had been collected and analyzed for two periods (1989-2004) and (2005-2009). Mean Annual Flow (MAF), Flow Duration Curve (FDC) and Range of Variability Approach (RVA) methods were used and IHA software had been exercised in calculating environmental flow. According to RVA, FDC and MAF methods estimated environmental flow was found to be 192.72 cms, 206.5 cms and 180.77 cms respectively with the mean of 192.72 cms. It is observed that, in more recent time, the environmental flow is not maintained during the low flow season in the river and overall flow rate is reduced. Mean, maximum and minimum annual flows are reduced about 35%, 42% and 9% respectively from the period (1989-2004) to (2005-2009). Considering environmental flows estimated by RVA and MAF methods, about 40% and 36% of total flow of the period 2005- 2009 flowed below the required environmental flow. In FDC method about 35% flow is flowed below the required environmental flow during the low flow season in the same period. These findings may help the policy makers to manage water resources in the catchment area of the Turag.

Effects of Solid Waste and Industrial Effluents on Water Quality of Turag River at Konabari Industrial Area, Gazipur, Bangladesh

The study was conducted to investigate the effects of solid waste and industrial effluents on the water quality of Turag River. Both the upstream and downstream sampled water from the selected points were analyzed for color, odor, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) concentrations. Results of the study showed that the color of water was light to dark black and emitted noxious smell due to the industrial effluents. The upstream water was slightly alkaline with comparatively high DO content while low concentration of other parameters. The water after the solid waste and effluents received points as well as middle and downstream points was slightly alkaline with higher levels of other parameters when compared with upstream point. The minimum and maximum values of pH, EC, TDS, DO and BOD were 7.24-7.61, 425-2277 ?S/cm, 239-1349 ppm, 1.22-3.66 ppm and -2.44-0.86 ppm, respectively. The continuous dumping of waste materials resulted in a marked increase in the concentration of metals in the river water varied in the order of Fe > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cd. The study concluded that the downstream water in the river was almost polluted and unsuitable for human consumption and aquaculture purposes.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i2.14817 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(2): 213-218 2012

Contamination and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal in the Sediment of Turag River, Bangladesh: An Index Analysis Approach

Encroachment, disposal of untreated domestic and industrial wastewater and dumping of solid wastes have degraded the overall quality of the river Turag, which is located in Dhaka—the Capital City of Bangladesh. The present study investigated the extent of pollution of sediments of this river and analyzed the regional variability for the concentrations of Cr, Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd—all of concern because of their potential toxicity, using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. As per US EPA sediment quality guideline, metal concentrations ranged between Cd: 0.00 - 0.80, Cr: 32.00 - 75.50, Cu: 46.30 - 60.00, Pb: 28.30 - 36.40, and Zn: 94.60 - 190.10 mg/kg in the Turag river sediments. Cr, Cu, Zn belongs to moderately to highly polluted, Pb and Cd belongs to not polluted for Turag river. The heavy metals contamination in the sediments were also evaluated by applying Index of geo-accumulation (Igeo), contamination factor (Cf), pollution load index (PLI) etc. Toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP) test (US EPA 1311) for sediment samples have been performed also for metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu and Zn) to determine the readily toxicity level of heavy metals. Sieve analysis of sediment performed in this study to determine the physical characteristic of sediment samples. The metal concentrations are well below the regulated level as per US EPA. This index can be complemented with the contamination index, which allows more site-specific and accurate information on contaminant levels. If the aim of work on contamination evaluation is to assess the overall contamination of a study area, the indices are highly appropriate.

Study of the seasonal variations in Turag river water quality parameters

The purpose of this study was to assess the degree of pollution of Turag river water by determining various physico-chemical parameters. Water samples were collected six times per year during wet and dry season at the following three locations: Tongi Railway Bridge, Bishwa Ijtema field and Ashulia. Most of the measured physicochemical parameters exceeded permissible limit of drinking water. The recorded pH ranged from 6.6 to 7.98 and Electrical Conductivity (EC) from 160 to 1107 µs/cm. The recorded dissolve oxygen (DO) varied from 0.11 to 6.8 mg/L and biological oxygen demand (BOD) ranged from 10 to 180 mg/L while chemical oxygen demand ranged from 21 to 220 mg/L and free CO2 value from 5 to 22 mg/L. The concentration ranges of heavy metals and arsenic in ppb were as follows: Zinc (Zn) (0.04 to 0.4), cadmium (Cd) (0.043 to 2), arsenic (As) (1.15 to 4.8), (lead) Pb (2.29 to 18.62) and mercury (Hg) (0.12 to 1.45). Due to the increased values of the parameters pH, DO, BOD, COD and free CO2 water from these locations was not suitable for human consumption without appropriate treatment. Key words: Tongi railway bridge, Ijtema field, Ashulia, industrial effluent, aquatic ecosystem.

Surface water quality assessment in the central part of Bangladesh using multivariate analysis

This study deals with the natural and anthropogenic processes that influence the surface water quality in the central Bangladesh using multivariate statistical techniques. The investigation shows that the Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), turbidity, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), NO3−, SO42−, Cl−, PO43− and microbial loads are higher than the Bangladesh standards. R-mode CA groups all 10 sampling sites into 3 statistically significant clusters, reflecting the different physicochemical characteristics and pollution levels of the sites. R-mode CA suggests common sources (industrial, agriculture and urban sewage) for TSS, EC, turbidity, temperature, COD, PO43−, SO42−, and Fecal Coliform (FC). The PCA/FA identifies 5 dominant factors as responsible for the data structure, explaining 88.3% of the total variance in the dataset. The multiple anthropogenic (i.e., industrial, agricultural, urban sewage) and natural sources (soil erosion, aquatic hyacinths and weeds) of water quality parameters have been identified by PCA. This work is believed to serve as a baseline data for further studies in the Turag River system as well as inform decision-makers on the proper design of sampling and analytical protocols for effective pollution management of the surface water quality in the basin.

Physico-chemical and Biological Aspects of Monsoon Waters of AShulia for Economic and Aesthetic Applications: Preliminary Studies

In the north-eastern part of Dhaka the 'Turag River' extends over Ashulia thana with a few branches. The north-eastern part of Ashulia thana mainly constitute low lands with a physiography of Madhupur Tract interlaced with Brahmaputra Floodplain. Monsoon extends over these lands from May to October and from July to October these lands remain flooded with a water depth of more than 180 cm to less than 275 cm due to surface runoff of rain water and overflow of the river canals. The area under water during this four month period can be used for economic applications such as various types of fishery as well as enhancing the present recreational applications. For these purposes the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the water are studied to evaluate its suitability for the applications. The study was held over the period of July through December, 2006, samples being taken once every month. The physical parameters covered transparency, odor, temperature, salinity, EC, TSS, and TDS. The chemical parameters of water studied were pH, DO, BOD5, COD, hardness, NO2---N, NO3---N, PO43---P, SO42---S, Cl-, Na, K, Ca, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Hg. Among the biological parameters 'phytoplankton' and 'zooplankton' were qualitatively identified in microscopic observation up to genera. From July to October the water was transparent and of good odor, temperature ranged from 28.2°C to 24.6°C, salinity within 0.58 to 0.83 mg/L, EC within 250 to 608 ? mho/cm, TSS 0.42 to 0.82 mg/L, and TDS within 2.8 to 5.2 mg/L. Among the chemical parameters, pH ranged from 6.6 to 7.4, DO within 6.4 to 6.9 mg/L, BOD5 within 1.5 to 3.28 mg/L, COD within 3.04 to 12.89 mg/L, hardness 26.08 to 37.5 mg/L, NO2--N from undetectable to maximum 0.562 mg/L, NO3--N within 0.539 to 2.158 mg/L, PO43--P 2.35 to 2.75 mg/L, SO42--S 0.23 to 0.29 mg/L, Cl- 1.65 to 6.16 mg/L, Na 3.6 to 12.5 mg/L, K 9.7 to 11.5 mg/L, Ca 6.52 to 14.82 mg/L, Fe 0.1269 to 0.5062 mg/L, Ni 0.028 to 0.050 ?g/L, Cu 0.028 to 0.043 mg/L, Zn 0.023 to 0.048 ?g/L, Cd 0.0023 to 0.0043 ?g/L, Pb 0.043 to 0.093 ?g/L, and Hg was not detected at ppb level. Among the biological parameters a number of phytoplankton were identified covering the classes of Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Euglenophyceae, and Cyanophyceae. The zooplanktons included the orders Cladocera and Copepoda within the class Crustacea of phylum Arthropoda. 
 
 Key words: Freshwater ecology, Water resource management 
 
 Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 42(4), 377-396, 2007